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VANCOUVER — The RBC Canadian Open won't be returning to Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in 2015 and that comes as a huge disappointment to large numbers of the club's members and executive who had poured long hours into landing the event.

In golf-industry parlance, negotiations to bring the tournament back to Shaughnessy next summer were deep into the back nine when things changed.

A deal that seemed to be almost done suddenly was off the table and all signs point to the Canadian Open returning, once again, to Glen Abbey Golf Club near Toronto next year.

Tournament sponsor RBC and Golf Canada, which as tournament operator had been negotiating with Shaughnessy for months, had a change of heart. It is not clear whether the recent retirement announcement of RBC's longtime chairman Gord Nixon, who is stepping aside this summer, had anything to do with the change of plans. He is being replaced by Dave McKay, currently the head of commercial and personal banking with RBC.

It is RBC, as title sponsor, that has the ultimate say in where the tournament is played.

Shaughnessy recently notified its members via an e-mail that negotiations to bring the tournament to the private Southwest Marine Drive layout had ended.

"After considerable effort to land another Canadian Open at Shaughnessy, your determined Canadian Open Committee has been informed by Golf Canada that we will not be hosting the RBC Canadian Open in 2015." that e-mail reads. "Golf Canada confirmed the desire of both themselves and the title sponsor, RBC, to host the event elsewhere in 2015. With Royal Montreal playing host in 2014, they felt it was too risky to be outside the Greater Toronto Area for two years in a row.

"While we are disappointed with the outcome, the SGCC negotiating team (Ken Woods, Dick Vollet, Diana Maughan, Jonathan O'Connor, Robin Macfarlane and Jason Sigurdson) provided great leadership on our behalf and deserve a huge thank you for their effort. In addition, we realize that all members have been very encouraging and patient as we worked through this process. We expect that Golf Canada will be making a public announcement soon."

Shaughnessy last played host to the Canadian Open in 2011, when Sean O'Hair won in a playoff. It also held the event in 2005, when Mark Calcavecchia won.

At both events, Shaughnessy drew largely positive reviews. A few players groused about the length of the rough, but nearly everyone loved the layout.

"Shaughnessy is probably ranked the highest by the players of any of the courses we play," former Golf Canada president Mike Carroll said in an interview late last summer when negotiations with Shaughnessy began.. "In terms of feedback that has come from the players, they really love Shaughnessy."

Golf Canada, which in recent years has made good on its pledge to move the Canadian Open around the country, turns its biggest profit off the event when it is held in the Toronto area.

Bill Paul, Golf Canada's tournament director of the Open, on Wednesday cited three main reasons for the decision to drop Shaughnessy for 2015. Paul indicated RBC did not want to be out of the Greater Toronto area for two straight years. He also said there were concerns about getting key players from the British Open, which is held the week before the Canadian Open, out to Vancouver. Finally, Paul said Golf Canada took into consideration the considerable cost of moving the event to the West Coast.

"It was disappointing because we know what Shaughnessy means to a lot of players," Paul said in a telephone interview. "We still get players who ask when are you going back out there? Vancouver is obviously a popular spot, but 2015 just did not work out. It was nothing to do with the club or any kind of negotiating there. That went well. We were certainly prepared to go out there, but when we just looked at all of the factors, those three just kept coming up and we made a decision."

Paul said Golf Canada still plans to return the Canadian Open to Vancouver in the not too distant future, but that will not happen any earlier than 2017.

"Certainly Vancouver, B.C., Shaughnessy is still in our plans," Paul said. "It still remains a venue for the Open … we have had great success out there, it has been well received."

Shaughnessy general manager Jason Sigurdson declined comment on the situation, but issued the following statement: "As a Club, we respect Golf Canada and RBC's decision to host the tournament elsewhere in 2015. We wish them all the best finding a suitable host venue to contest our national championship. 2015 will be a great year for Shaughnessy as we focus on serving our membership after hosting the Jr. America's Cup in 2014."

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Canadian Open not coming to Shaughnessy as RBC, Golf Canada drop 2015 plan

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